Tag Archives: Schenectady County Historical Society

2017 marks the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage in New York State, and this fall, Humanities New York is exploring the subject with a reading and discussion group.

Union College Professor Andrea Foroughi will leads the group through six evenings of book discussion. The book selections include history, biography, and fiction, and provide a window into this chapter of American social progress and a springboard into ongoing discussions of women’s history. Continue reading →

The Schenectady County Historical Society will host Genealogist Lisa Dougherty who will present Understanding Your Ancestry DNA Test, on Saturday, October 7th at 10 am.

Professional genealogist Lisa Dougherty will lead the informative session that will guide participants through the fundamentals of DNA tests. Topics covered will include DNA basics, interpreting ethnicity estimates, dealing with all those cousin matches, and incorporating the results into your genealogy research. Continue reading →

The Schenectady County Historical Society will host a Stockade Walkabout on Saturday, September 23, from 11 am to 5 pm.

The walk will begin at the Schenectady County Historical Society, 32 Washington Ave, Schenectady, and will focus on transformation, and the many changes the neighborhood has witnessed since the 1600s.

Schenectady’s Stockade is the oldest registered historic district in New York State. The Stockade Walkabout grants visitors the chance to step inside privately-owned homes in the neighborhood. Continue reading →

The Schenectady County Historical Society (SCHS) has announced opening plans for the 1731 Brouwer House, its newly acquired Stockade property. The Brouwer House was donated to the SCHS by the Kindl family, who previously resided in the historic home.

On Tuesday, September 26 at 4 pm, SCHS, together with the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at the Brouwer House. Light refreshments and beverages will be served, and tours of the home and garden will be offered.

The community is invited to join in celebrating this exciting acquisition and in ushering in a new chapter in Schenectady preservation, tourism, and education. Continue reading →

The Board of Trustees of the Schenectady County Historical Society (SCHS) has announced the appointment of Mary Zawacki to the newly created position of Executive Director.

Creation of the role of Executive Director was a principal finding of the recent strategic assessment the Cooperstown Graduate Program in History conducted for the Society.

Mary Zawacki’s appointment follows a nationwide search. She joined the SCHS in 2014 as Curator. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and French from SUNY New Paltz and a Master of Arts in Cultural Heritage Studies from Newcastle University, United Kingdom. Continue reading →

African Americans have a long, and often overlooked record of serving in NYS armed forces. Join the Schenectady County Historical Society on Saturday, April 1 at 2 pm, as author Anthony Gero explores the contributions of New York’s African Americans prior to the military’s integration.

African American solders – in spite of many obstacles – served courageously and valiantly, winning many commendations and earning the respect of friend and foe alike. This talk is presented as part of the “Together Until the End: Schenectady in the First World War” series. Continue reading →

As the centennial of World War I begins, Schenectady County Historical Society and Humanities NY will host a World War I Reading and Discussion Group entitled “Our World Remade.” Texts will include historical accounts; novels; poetry; government documents; news accounts; journals and letters from soldiers, nurses, politicians, pacifists, and other eye-witnesses to the tragic and transformative events of The Great War. Continue reading →

Schenectady County Historical Society will host a book talk and signing with historian William Griffith on Saturday, February 4th at 2 pm at the Mabee Farm Historic Site.

In his book The Battle of Lake George (2016) Griffith tells the story of the first major British battlefield victory of the French and Indian War.

In late summer in Lake George, 1755, a bloody conflict for control of Lake George and its access to New York’s interior took place between the British and French forces. Against all odds, British commander William Johnson rallied his men through the barrage of enemy fire to send the French retreating north to Ticonderoga. The stage was set for one of the most contested regions throughout the rest of the conflict. Continue reading →